In a quiet room, Qin Chuan sat on a chair with his legs spread wide. Standing beside him was Zheng Chengdao; Captain Zhao was no longer there.
Facing them were Zhang Cheng and Wang Xinjun, looking uneasy.
The two looked at their cousin, who had long since become a big shot, with a mixture of fear and awe.
It was a feeling of being completely devastated from the inside out. Qin Chuan’s appearance, attire, and even his demeanor were vastly different from theirs!
To put it bluntly, the value of a single belt on him exceeded the combined total of everything they wore.
Comparing oneself to others could truly be infuriating at times; reality was just that cruel and unforgiving.
Before the New Year, their cousin's family was still suffering. To borrow money, they had swallowed their pride and gone to their doors, begging for one or two hundred yuan.
At the time, each of them had been mocking and gloating. Who could have imagined that fate would take such a miraculous turn?
In less than a year, the relatives they had once looked down upon had suddenly struck gold, their ancestors’ graves smoking with good fortune, and they had risen from the ranks of the oppressed to sing songs of triumph.
All three cousins had become successful, especially the youngest, Qin Chuan, who had astonished everyone, changing so much that they barely recognized him.
They remembered how, when they first heard about the changes in the Old Qin family from others, they simply didn't believe it.
Only when more and more people came to their door to talk about it, and they had no choice, did they go out to inquire.
The moment they inquired, reality slapped them hard in the face.
The family they had once disdained had, in less than a year, transformed from pheasants into phoenixes, soaring to great heights.
Not only did they open supermarkets in the county town, but they also developed real estate and maintained close relationships with many influential figures in the county. They traveled in cars, adorned themselves with gold and silver, and lived exceptionally well.
“Do you have anything to say to me?”
Just as Zhang Cheng and Wang Xinjun were lost in thought, a cold voice rang out, startling them into sitting up straight, their minds no longer wandering.
“Cousin… Cousin…”
“Stop right there. Don’t call me cousin. It makes me sick to my stomach. I’ve never had any cousins.”
Qin Chuan said coldly.
Zhang Cheng and Wang Xinjun’s faces were filled with embarrassment. They didn’t dare to retort but could only force out awkward smiles.
“I just heard from people here that you went to my electronics factory today completely misled by someone named Li Yuansan.”
Qin Chuan got straight to the point: “Tell me, how did you meet that person? How long have you been in contact?”
Upon hearing Qin Chuan’s question, Zhang Cheng and Wang Xinjun exchanged glances, and Wang Xinjun spoke up: “Cousin… uh, Qin Chuan, it’s like this. We haven’t known this Li Yuansan for long; it’s been about a month or so…”
Through Wang Xinjun’s narration, Qin Chuan finally understood the hidden details.
It turned out that Wang Xinjun and Zhang Cheng were lazy and good-for-nothing from a young age, and on top of that, they had a penchant for gambling. Ever since they learned of their family’s newfound wealth, the two brothers had come to the city together, contemplating how to get closer and extort some money.
However, before the New Year, their families had thoroughly offended everyone in Qin Chuan’s family. With guilty consciences, they were afraid of being kicked out.
Thus, the brothers lingered in the city for many days. Only when the money they brought with them was almost spent did they become truly anxious.
By chance, they heard from some unsavory characters in the city about several casinos. Thinking that they were running out of money anyway, they decided to try their luck and make a big score.
When it came to gambling, both Zhang Cheng and Wang Xinjun were extremely proficient.
And so, they went to the casino.
With a desperate resolve, the two brothers put all their money on the table and began to gamble, hoping for a small bet to yield a big return.
Unfortunately, like many gamblers, they not only lost all their money but also owed the casino a substantial sum.
When they were apprehended by the casino staff and threatened with having their fingers cut off, the two, terrified, blurted out that they were Qin Chuan’s relatives.
This news happened to be overheard by the casino manager, who was Li Yuansan.
“What did you say? Li Yuansan is the manager of that casino?”
Qin Chuan was also surprised upon hearing this.
“Yes, when he introduced himself, he said his name was Li Yuansan and that he was from Nanyang Village.”
Zhang Cheng and Wang Xinjun said in unison.
Qin Chuan frowned. As far as he knew, Li Yuansan’s family should still be living in Nanyang Village.
This family might have had some minor cleverness, but they were not particularly successful.
Could it be that his information from his previous life was incorrect, or had his appearance in this life changed certain established trajectories?
Qin Chuan was unsure, because in his previous life, when he learned about Li Yuansan’s situation, Li Yuansan had already died of an incurable illness.
He had no idea what major events had happened to Li Yuansan during that time.
“Continue telling me, how did you interact with Li Yuansan afterward?”
After thinking for a long time and being unable to figure out the reason, Qin Chuan decided to stop pondering and urged them to continue.
“When he learned that we were indeed your cousins, that Li Yuansan suddenly became much friendlier towards us.”
Zhang Cheng said.
“Not only did he waive our gambling debts, but he also gave us brothers some money, telling us to follow him from then on, and he guaranteed we'd eat well and live comfortably.”
Qin Chuan sneered, “And then you believed what that Li Yuansan said?”
“Someone gave us money, provided us with food and drink, and occasionally took us brothers to find girls. Who wouldn’t take advantage of such a good thing?”
Wang Xinjun said excitedly.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, he noticed Qin Chuan’s increasingly cold gaze and immediately became awkward, lowering his head.
“Idiots!!”
Qin Chuan silently cursed them in his heart. These two were truly strong in body but weak in mind. Hadn’t they considered whether such good things existed in the world?
Why would someone give you money for no reason, and provide food and drink for free? Who did you think you were?
Qin Chuan felt there was no need to ask further. The subsequent events were bound to be that after these two fools had enjoyed themselves enough, Li Yuansan would gradually reveal his fangs.
He ordered them to deliberately cause trouble at the Xinhua Electronics Factory, which then led to the scene at the supermarket this afternoon.
Li Yuansan’s motive was straightforward: to discredit the Old Qin family through his own means and seek revenge.
It was just that Li Yuansan had likely never expected that the Qin family’s approach would be so ruthless.
They had chosen to call the police without any regard for kinship, catching him completely off guard and exposing Li Yuansan so quickly.
“Where is the casino where you often met Li Yuansan? And what is its name?”
Finally, Qin Chuan asked.